HIGHLIGHTS

IS released a video identifying the two terrorists, who were killed during the attack.

Russia had launched a crackdown on suspected IS supporters in July.

Russian President Vladimir Putin.

HIGHLIGHTS

IS claimed responsibility for its first terror attack in Russia.

IS released a video identifying the two terrorists, who were killed during the attack.

Russia had launched a crackdown on suspected IS supporters in July.

What Russia suspected, the Islamic State has confirmed. That the IS has taken roots in Russia. The IS has claimed its first terror attack on Russian soil. The IS released a video of the two attackers, who tried to kill police officers near Moscow.

Two assailants had attacked a traffic post on a motorway in Balashika near Moscow on Wednesday. Two police officers were injured in the attack while both the attackers were killed.

IS IDENTIFIES ATTACKERS

In its video, the IS named the two attackers as Uthman Mardalov and Salim Israilov, hailing them as "soldiers of the Islamic State". In the 90-second video, the two men, speaking a mixture of Russian and Arabic pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and claimed that they had "taken a path of jihadi on the command of the emir".

Russia's Investigative committee said that one of the attackers was killed during the attack at the traffic post while the other was gunned down when he raised "armed resistance". One of the injured police officers is said to be in serious condition.

IS ATTACK A REACTION?

With IS's footprints getting deeper in Europe, Russia cracked down on suspected IS supporters from Balashika in July. Several suspects were arrested for distributing IS propaganda literature and attempting to recruit militants for the terror organization.

Mardalov and Israilov were said to be of Chechen descent. Though, it is not clear whether they were among those arrested from Balashika, it is being suspected that Wednesday attack was a kind of retaliation by the IS.

IS HAD THREATENED ATTACK

The Islamic State had warned Russia last week that it would launch a terror attack on Russian soil. In a video message, a masked IS fighter threatened Russia's President Vladimir Putin saying militants would "come to Russia and kill you in your homes".

Last year, the IS had gunned down a Russia bound plane flying from Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt to St. Petersburg killing all 224 people on board including 219 Russian passengers and crew. This happened just after Russian fight planes started bombing IS held areas in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.